Mr. Smith’s
3104 M St. N.W.

Carded: at the door
Cover: none
Dress: After work to after dinner to after date
Specials: Happy Hour runs Monday through Friday from
4 to 7 p.m.; monthly beer specials

In a classic episode of “The Simpsons” – a homage to “Mr. Smith Goes to Washington” – Lisa wins an essay contest and a trip to D.C. But during a late-night walk around the city, she sees the dirty side of politics and her political optimism is discouraged. The same thing happened to me over the weekend. Seriously.

OK, not really. But my faith in Washington’s bar scene has decreased lately, especially in terms of music choices. While I am aware that there are plenty of venues in the area where you can hear virtually every genre of music, there is a standard mix that one expects at a bar. This ranges from the country favorites and alcohol-soaked tunes at Mad Hatter to the underground beats at the Eighteenth Street Lounge. But despite having a live piano man on Friday nights, Mr. Smith’s has one of the city’s most limited music selections. Yes, I know drunk people like to sing along to “Sweet Home Alabama,” but you don’t have to play it five times in two hours.

Luckily, there’s more to Mr. Smith’s than the sing-a-longs. The beer of the month is priced at $2.50 – not bad for a weekend night in Georgetown. And although the piano man draws a decent crowd, there’s a chance to grab a table by the entrance and leave the singing to those in the back.

My friends and I sort of stole our table from a group of guys, but they were more than happy to have the chance to talk to four women. Of course, it’s always entertaining to meet guys from out of town, and they were out in packs at Mr. Smith’s. One guy from Pennsylvania asked the following: “I know I have a receding hairline, but does my hair look poofy?” I didn’t know if that was a pick-up line, or if he was seeking honest advice. There were also British military officers who couldn’t believe my friend’s obsession with the prime minister’s questions on CSPAN.

Here’s a tip: some people really think Tony Blair is sexy with his pink ties and all, and sometimes singing and drinking just don’t mix.